Winsor School Admission Magazine 2024 by Good Design

INSIDE inside

Day in the Life of a Lower School Student Community

Time, Coding, and Chinese!

Jordelys Batista Jaquez, a sixth grader (Class II), is thriving in her first year at Winsor. She noshes on nachos and makes the most of Mandarin class. Take a peek at a typical day:

7:35 a.m.

Bus

6:10 a.m.

Wake Up

I live in Roxbury. I have an alarm at 6:10 a.m. I shower, brush my teeth, and get ready. Winsor has breakfast, so sometimes I just eat breakfast at school. I get oatmeal or cereal. There’s also hot chocolate, which is really good.

I take the Winsor bus. My bus stop is two minutes from my house, so I just walk to it. It’s really easy. It’s about a 30-minute ride because I’m the last stop. I usually get here at 8:10 a.m.

8:10 a.m.

Homeroom

We have no-tech Friday. You play games, but you’re not supposed to use any computers. It’s time to engage with our friends.

8:20 a.m.

Coding

We get to do Arduino and those types of coding projects. We did an end-of-the-year project where we had to code something. Some people made a light that you can use. It was really cool. My group did a typewriter, where you press the button and it would write an emoji. I created a dictionary of every emoji, but it wasn’t me creating the meaning. It was actually the computer.

9:30 a.m.

Community Time

Depending on the day, we might have PAB, which is Performing Arts Block. I am in chorus. We just tried out for solos today. I’m excited. I think I did pretty well. I hope I did. Other days we have advisory or assemblies. We have Somos Sisters, which is the affinity group for Hispanic and Black students in the Lower School and then Sisters, which is for Black or African students in the Upper School. Both affinity groups had a performance at an assembly to share our culture.

10:30 a.m.

Science

We’re learning about the respiratory system. We put a syringe in a balloon to represent the diaphragm and the lungs. It shows how it works to exhale air. It was really cool to use models to represent what we’re learning.

11:35 a.m.

Lunch

We get to eat a lot of good stuff. If it’s warm outside, we get to go outside and sit in the courtyard and play games with our friends. We’ve had nachos five times this year. It’s senior choice week, so the seniors get to choose what we have for lunch this whole week.

12:05 p.m.

History

We learned this year about Greece and Rome. We have a research project on emperors coming up, so I’m really excited for that. We usually get a Google form and you say your top three choices. I would like to do Augustus, the first emperor of Rome. We had a Greek Symposium which was really fun. My project was sculptures. I created a vase with clay. I really liked that, because I was able to be creative. We all had to have a poster and put our information there. I learned how influential Greek sculptures were and how much they progressed from the faces and the detail that they put in.

1:40 p.m.

Chinese

Chinese class is probably my best class. Right now we’re doing a research project on a really important place in China. I have the Beijing National Stadium. Some people are working on posters and others are making PowerPoints. I’m creating a painting to represent it and including China’s national trees and the Yin-Yang symbol. It’s the white and black symbol that’s supposed to show balance.

2:45 p.m.

Theater

After school, some people do sports. I do theater. I’m in a play with our brother school— Belmont Hill. I take the bus there for rehearsals. We’re doing Honk! JR. I’m a reporter, Jay Bird. I get to wear a blue suit.

5:00 p.m.

Heading Home

My mom usually picks me up. I do my homework first thing. Then I just chill and do other stuff.

6:30 p.m.

Dinner

My mom taught me how to cook when I was really young. Sometimes I cook rice, pasta, spaghetti, mac and cheese, and chicken for my mom, my dad, and my brother. Sometimes someone else cooks.

7:00 p.m.

Evenings at home

My homework usually takes one or two hours. Sometimes it doesn’t take that long. Then if I have time I like to go to the park close to my house or go to my grandma’s. She’s pretty close by. 9:30 p.m.

Bedtime

I used to go to sleep later, but now I try not to go to sleep that late.

A DAY IN THE LIFE Cool Science, Real History, & Fun with Friends

Grace Murphy just joined Winsor this year as a ninth grader (Class V), but she quickly found her place with friends and academics. This is a typical day for her:

9:25 a.m.

Community Time

6:15 a.m.

Wake up!

I set an alarm on my phone for 6:10 a.m. or 6:15 a.m. Sometimes those extra minutes make me feel rested. Nine times out of ten, my dad will drive me in from our house in Melrose.

8:10 a.m.

Caffe Nero

I have a free block first, so my friends and I go off campus to Starbucks or Caffè Nero. I usually get a strawberry dragonfruit lemonade. We hang out and walk around. We take our time. I was so nervous about having friends. I was thinking, Winsor starts in fifth grade. They’re going to be like, “Who’s this girl?” But everyone’s just so nice. Even if you’re not going to be best friends they’re nice to you. It’s refreshing to me.

Assembly

During this time we have advisory, homeroom, and assemblies. At the last assembly we had a Holocaust survivor speak. Hearing, “One day I woke up and there was a soldier in my house, taking all of our food”— it just helped me picture the events of that time more vividly.

10:15 a.m.

History

I love history. My teacher keeps the class going at such a nice pace and keeps it super fun. She knows everything. You can ask any question in the world. She’ll have an answer for you. We recently wrote a five-page research paper. I wrote on Gandhi and his vision for a pluralist, united India. At first it was a lot to swallow. It was really a combination of everything we’ve learned this year—not just skills we’ve learned, and not just content we’ve learned, but it all came together.

11:35 a.m.

Biology

We just finished testing how temperature influences a daphnia water flea’s heart rate. The higher the temperature, the faster the heart rate. Because there’s less oxygen present when the water is warmer, the heart has to work harder to get oxygen into the body.

12:50 p.m.

Lunch

I have a gluten allergy. Chef Heather is so good. She gives me the gluten-free option for that day. If it’s something I really don’t want, I can always have pasta. They have gluten-free everything. We usually sit at the big long table with all our friends.

1:30 p.m.

Film and Video

We’re making a music video. I’m doing “Call Me Maybe” because I have memories of dancing to that song in the car. We’re recording, directing, and producing. We’re doing it all.

2:45 p.m.

Lacrosse

There are a lot of freshmen in lacrosse. We all do our hair together. One of my friends has a slicked back ponytail, so we’ve all just started doing them. Then we go out to the lacrosse field and we do shuttles and drills. There’s definitely a lot of laps on that team.

I was a very strict ballet dancer and I still do dance

on the weekends. But now I’m at this place where there are so many opportunities at my fingertips. Why not just try something different? Dance will always be there.

5:00 p.m.

Train Home

Usually I take the train home. It takes a little under an hour. My mom picks me up at the station.

7:00 p.m.

Homework

Sometimes I just do my homework and go to bed. Sometimes I’ll go down and talk to my mom and my dad about their day. My view about Winsor is you have as much work as you give yourself. I have great grades but I don’t strain myself over it. I get done what I need to get done and I get the grades I want to get, but I don’t get super tired and wrapped up in it. I feel like it’s just a healthier lifestyle for me.

11:00 p.m.

Bedtime

I try to aim for eight hours of sleep. Last night I went to bed at 10 p.m., but if I still have homework I get to bed a little bit later.

What’s in Your

BACKPACK BACKPACK

A day at Winsor means being prepared with books, binders, pencils—and of course, snacks!

Savanna Hurd, a ninth grader (Class V) from Weston, opens her bag to share a glimpse into her world.

Headphones

If I have any downtime—like if I have a free period—I go outside and sit on a chair and plug in and then do some homework. My favorite song is probably “Listen” by Beyoncé.

Snacks

I have a banana, protein bars, and Nerds gummy clusters. I am very athletic. I play a lot of sports in the afternoon—field hockey, both for Winsor and a club team, basketball, and sailing—so I always bring snacks. I already finished it, but normally I bring a protein shake just to make sure I get all my nutrients if I don’t have time to eat a really big lunch. The banana gives me more energy. The candies are just for happiness.

Binder

It’s organized by class—English, history, biology, Chinese, math. This is where I take some notes. It depends on what we’re doing in class that day. For a lot of typing, I’ll use my iPad. But if I’m doing an artistic drawing in history, or we’re given handouts, I use my binder.

I was attracted to Winsor because there were so many different things the students were learning. In history class in my old school we just briefly went over Christopher Columbus or whatever. I was really interested in how society works today. When I walked into a couple of the classes and heard the teachers, I saw how invested they were in the material, bringing it alive to the students, and making it relevant. That drew me in.

4 iPad

I use this for note-taking. I think I got those stickers in Class I from Chinese class.

Grammar packet

Grammar is a little difficult for me, so I always have it around, even on days I don’t have English, because I like to do the extra practice problems. I think this is a great resource to use outside of class.

Romeo and Juliet

This is what we’re reading in English right now, and I am actually really enjoying it. It’s a very different story and a different form. I appreciate seeing how Shakespeare wrote. We have one-on-one English

Composition book

This was about one of the characters—Holden from

9 Camera

I also bring a camera around. It’s a Sony point-and-shoot camera. It zooms a long way. It’s pretty impressive. That’s one of my hobbies. I really love photography. I took a

“It’s

beyond anything I could have thought possible.”

Feldman ’25 Writes and Produces Her First Play

At Winsor, Mina Feldman ’25 found a passion for theater— and brought it to life on stage. Here, in her own words, she tells the story of her debut production, Course Correction.

How It Started

I really got into theater in ninth grade because I took Mr. Johnson’s acting class. I took his directing class in my sophomore year. I found something that I love to do and care about.

In the spring of my sophomore year, I had an idea—I needed to write a murder mystery about college admissions. I remember chatting about it with my friends. They said to me, “You need to make this happen,” because I have a lot of ideas that I mention and I let them die. They were like, “You need to make sure that this isn’t just something we talked about once and that never goes anywhere.” They helped me to do that. I had a draft by the end of the summer.

The premise is that the college counselor at this fancy private school is murdered. This 10th-grade detective takes it upon herself to solve the case. The narrator, who is the detective’s sister, has just been deferred

from her dream school, so she’s sort of reeling from that. It’s about solving the mystery but also about how these two sisters can navigate this place where excellence is currency—how they deal with the culture.

Production Begins

Student-directed plays happen every year. You propose a play, and then you’ll get to put it on, which is such a cool opportunity. But this was the first one that a student had written. I just wrote it, and then I proposed it like I might any other play.

The fact that the Performing Arts Department gave me that opportunity is just so cool. It’s beyond anything I could have thought possible. I had the guidance and the support of Mr. Johnson. He’s a really great kind of mentor.

My favorite part was seeing the actors bring these characters to life. It’s one thing to work on it alone and isolated, but then I actually got to come in and be with my friends and see them expand on the story. They brought a lot to what I had written. They just made it better.

You might see hints of Mina in the lead character, Detective Phoebe Marlowe. Definitely. When I wrote it, I thought it was a little bit of a self-insert angle, but honestly, the best thing was that the freshman who played that character made it her own. Seeing the actor step into that role and move beyond what was in the script was big for me.

Curtains Up!

On opening night, Mr. Johnson said, “You’re going to spend more time watching the audience than actually watching the show.” You’re so conscious of, “Are they going to laugh?” Because it’s supposed to be funny.

“Are they gonna feel it?” You are thinking about the reception in the audience.

But at the show’s climax, there’s a scene between two characters, and seeing them come together, they took me in. I had my laser focus on the stage, just feeling so proud of them and grateful to them as they did that scene, which was heavy and emotional and took a lot out of them. That was a good moment.

Where Winsor Fits In

One of the characters gives a monologue where they talk about the fact that as much struggle as there might be, as many insecurities as you might confront, there’s also so much beauty, joy, and camaraderie amongst the students. There’s so much passion and so much learning that happens. You can live with that dichotomy. I think it’s a beautiful thing.

Here, you can have an idea, just a hope or a dream, and you can make it happen. I think this is a really special thing that’s really unique to Winsor. You can talk to people and say, “I want to do this,” and you’ll find people who support you, whether that’s your peers or your teachers.

Mina hopes to continue with theater in college and beyond.

That’s the dream. That’s what I hope to do.

I’ve submitted the play to a couple of different competitions, and I have an agent who’s helping me out. It’s messy, but it’s in the works.

I would love to be a director. I love the social aspect of it, the connection part of talking with actors as friends. I love having a creative vision that you can bring to life with your friends. I’d also love to keep writing and be a playwright.

You’d think an East Bridge education and a 4.2 GPA, an introspective essay, hours of community service and tutoring and counseling yields… admission. Acceptance. But college isn’t chemistry.

(Stage Directions) School colors are subject to change at the whim of the costume and set designers. Avoid the school colors of your own East Coast private school unless you’re extra bold.

A Team That Makes Space for

Every n

WINSOR’S ROBOTICS TEAM CODES, BUILDS, AND STANDS STRONG.

They joined Winsor Robotics to build a cool robot or be part of a team. Each brings something different—coding or business skills or simply a willingness to learn. Some have been coding since early elementary school. Others began at Winsor.

Karla Sahin ’24 We have a coding team, a business team, and a building team. That gives you three different avenues to explore engineering.

Kenna Schneider ’25 I have always been a STEM kid. In third grade, I got Scratch and I’ve been coding ever since.

Romy Gaudet ’25 I didn’t really have as many opportunities to explore this in my previous school, but I did Lego Robotics in Lower School.

Anne Li ’27 I’m a freshman and I joined Winsor this year. Everybody’s been very welcoming and willing to teach me what’s going on because before this, I really did not have experience in tech at all.

Trisha Manda ’25 I was kind of torn. I didn’t know if I wanted to be a STEM kid and do engineering. Or did I want to go more on the business side, which was another interest of mine? I chose to work on management. We work with the budget. We do the funding. We make all the merch. We manage our social media. It really shows that the team is a place for everyone.

THE TEAM COMPETES AGAINST OTHER SCHOOLS ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS. THE GOAL: MAKE IT TO THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.

Trisha Every year we have a big playing field with a bunch of obstacles and different tasks that gain points for your team. We start from scratch and build a robot and code it to do those tasks.

Kenna The Inspire Award is what we as a team have decided to shoot for because that is about a few questions: How are you reaching out in your community? How are you acting at competitions? Are you being open? Do you want to talk to people at competitions? How are new members feeling included on your team?

The best teams spend their whole lives on robotics. That’s not really our goal. Our priority as a team is to create a space at Winsor where women and gender minority people in STEM are allowed to do robotics.

THE APPROACH TO ROBOTICS AND STEM AT WINSOR IS DIFFERENT THAN AT OTHER SCHOOLS.

Romy I was just thinking about this the other day, but if I had gone to a different school, I don’t think I would have done robotics because it sounds so much more intimidating than it is at Winsor. At Winsor, it’s really okay if you don’t know what you’re doing. You are given the space to learn. It’s really acceptable to do that. You’re encouraged to make mistakes, and to learn from them. That differentiates Winsor from other schools.

Kenna The schools that may do better pointwise, it’s robotics every day, all day, after school. At Winsor, you can do robotics and other things. I’m on two sports teams. I’m in a band. I do music. I do all these other things and I’m still able to make time for robotics.

Anne I feel like while a lot of the other private schools tend to be more focused on one field or another, Winsor’s a lot more balanced between humanities and STEM.

“WE ARE WINSOR ROBOTICS, AND WE KNOW WHAT WE STAND FOR, AND WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.”

THE STUDENTS ARE KEENLY AWARE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE FEMALE IN A PREDOMINATELY MALE SPACE.

Kenna When we get to these competitions, it’s like 95% guys and we’re the girls’ team. Some schools have had zero girls on their team for years. I don’t want to be in an environment like that.

The biggest reason why I chose to come to Winsor was seeing how people behave in coed environments—how they are afraid to put 100% effort in, for fear of being ridiculed. Like, “You care about things. That’s so embarrassing.”

That doesn’t really happen in Winsor. Everyone is hardworking. Everyone cares. Everyone wants to be here. Everyone really wants to succeed. And I think that translates perfectly to robotics.

PART OF THE COMPETITION INVOLVES COLLABORATING WITH OTHER TEAMS.

Trisha Oftentimes our alliance partners are men. And they’re always like, “Let us do this. Our robot is better. Do this side task and stay out of our way.” It’s the feeling of being talked to in a condescending way. I

feel like the culture we foster within our team is, “They can think whatever they want. We are Winsor Robotics, and we know what we stand for, and we have been successful.” We’ve made it to States most years.

Romy At Winsor you learn how to advocate for yourself. When we go to these competitions and people try to minimize our participation, I’ve developed my skills to say, “No. We can do this and try to get the best outcome.”

WHETHER THEY PLAN TO BE ENGINEERS OR SOMETHING ELSE, THE TEAM MEMBERS SEE HOW ROBOTICS TRANSLATES TO A FUTURE CAREER.

Kenna I have been visiting colleges as a junior and I’ve reached out to multiple alums of Winsor Robotics, who are now at engineering colleges doing very impressive and amazing things.

Romy I’m more interested in biotech, like molecular biology, but I think that a lot of the skills that are necessary in that field, you learn

in robotics. We do a lot of brainstorming and troubleshooting, trying to figure out which designs work and which don’t.

KARLA SAHIN IS HEADED TO CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY TO MAJOR IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING.

Karla I was able to pursue internships through the community that we have in the FIRST Tech Challenge. I met a professor at Tufts where I interned and I learned about different fields and I learned about different colleges and so many other things through the network of robotics.

Check out our Robotics Team on Instagram

Making a Basket That Really Matters

Nell Sparks ’25 became just the fourth basketball player in Winsor history to score 1,000 points—and she still has one season left to score more! She dishes about community, balancing school and sports, and that magical moment when she made that basket.

When did you start playing basketball?

I started in about fifth grade, which, believe it or not, is actually a little on the later side. A lot of people, especially in the club basketball world, start first or second grade. I’ve been playing basketball at Winsor for as long as I could have—starting in sixth grade.

What was the lead-up like to that 1,000-point mark?

I had a general sense of when it would be, but I didn’t know exactly. I think my coaches, parents, and everyone at Winsor didn’t want it to be super high pressure, so they didn’t tell me exactly what game it was going to be. But I sort of knew.

The day before the game, one of my teammates made an announcement at assembly which was really special, encouraging people to come to the game to support me. It was at the beginning of February against Concord Academy in the second half. A lot of people were there. It was nice to have it in the home gym. It was a regular old layup. Then all of a sudden everyone just went crazy. My teammates came rushing on the court and they stopped the game and did a little ceremony. I had no idea. Coach Hable, our assistant director of athletics, came up on the mic and invited my family up on the court. We took some pictures and my teammates had posters and balloons that said “1000.” It was just a nice moment of seeing all the Winsor community come together. It was really special.

What sports do you play?

I play soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. Sports have been my favorite part of Winsor because of the community. The friends that I found and made have just been so special to me.

How has it been balancing academics and athletics at Winsor?

Teachers and coaches are really supportive. They know that you’re juggling both things at once. Doing both has made me a better communicator because you

have to communicate with your coaches and your teachers about schedules and work you need to make up.

What are the moments that stick with you from athletics at Winsor?

I’d say it’s the time before practices and the team dinners after that really make playing on a team so special. You’re not really thinking about sports, but you’re just together and you’re having fun. In 10 or 15 years, I think I’m not going to remember the wins or losses, but I will really remember the time that I spent with my teammates and my friends and my classmates.

What are the coaches like at Winsor?

Coaches can make or break a team. The coaches here really make an effort to understand, “Okay, you guys have a lot of tests this week. Let’s end practice early today.” Or, “I know you guys have had a really rough week. I brought a treat or we’re going to have a fun practice today.” That’s something that I really value in coaches at Winsor—the connectivity between coaches and the players. Our athletic director is very approachable. She meets with all the captains and asks, “What do you want to see in a coach? What does the team want to see in a coach?” I think that’s part of Winsor. They really want us to be self-advocates. My voice was really heard and valued.

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w Classes to Kno About

Teachers make learning come alive at Winsor.

Here are some students’ favorite classes:

UPPER SCHOOL

Words and Weapons

I loved learning everything having to do with stage fighting! We learned hand-to-hand combat and sword fighting, and then used our skills to create scenes of our own—even staging famous Shakespeare fight scenes.

For our final project I played Mercutio in Act 3 Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet and tried all of the sword fighting moves that I thought looked cool. Because of [my teacher], I was able to pull off fancy looking spins and footwork. The class was truly an amazing experience! —THEODORA ZARROW ’26

UPPER SCHOOL

Spanish Senior Seminar

I loved combining learning about current events with discussions in Spanish. From learning about “La Marea Verde,” a global movement advocating for abortion rights, to presenting on impactful women in STEM, and studying the “disappeared” in Argentina, I left the course with much more knowledge about significant events in Latinx history and people who are doing good in the world. My favorite project was creating our own prototype for a machine or object that would help solve some problem in the world. My friend Gigi and I created an apparatus that would collect microplastic floating in the ocean. We researched, designed our idea, and then presented it in front of the class. During my eight years at Winsor, this project stands out as the one that most pushed me to think creatively about something that I’m passionate about.

—SUZANNE POGORELEC ’24

In this class, we learned about the different systems of the human body. I liked it because we did many hands-on projects that made the class more fun. One of my favorite projects was making prosthetic arms out of recycled materials, such as plastic bottles, sponges, dowels, and other everyday items. The arms needed to lift a heavy bucket, pick up small items such as grapes and olives, and draw on a whiteboard. We also did various other projects, such as making life-size models of cells, making functioning models of hands out of paper and straws, and lots of other fun projects that helped us fully understand the topics we were covering. Those projects and what we learned have stayed with me.

—LEENA DEVENDRAN

’29

LOWER SCHOOL

History

I love this class because I am challenged and have fun at the same time! My favorite unit is the West African unit. The reason why I love this unit so much is because I learn about places I’ve never even heard of. —EVANGELIA FAITH VOLANDES ’31

What I love about English at Winsor is the way our teachers push us to really engage in our class discussions, especially by forming a circle with our chairs and letting the students lead the discussion. When first starting at Winsor, it may seem difficult to participate because you don’t know if you’re right or not, but the discussions we have in English have helped me feel like I can state any opinion I have without having to feel like I need to be called on. Whether it’s talking about a book or essay, the idea that I have control over when to speak and what I speak about gives me the confidence I need to say what’s on my mind. —SISI

ANSARI ’28

AP Statistics

This is a class that is both challenging and fun.

UPPER SCHOOL

Winsor Action Research Cohort

This class gave me the opportunity to conduct top-notch qualitative research. I feel like when we think about research, we often think of lab coats and microscopes; WARC showed me that research can be about people, societal structures, and the way we interact with each other. In WARC, we get to conduct literature reviews, interview Winsor students, and interact with other schools conducting similar research. Having taken WARC for two years, I’ve fallen in love with sociology and the process of conducting qualitative research. —PAIGE WHALEN ’24

I love getting to use my body to perform and the stage has always been my happy place. I enjoy finding a new way to get my share of the spotlight. I learned about the different layers of dance. My favorite activity was fast land, slow land. Our room is divided by a piece of tape and in one half you dance fast; in the other you dance slowly. I was the only one in my class who prefers fast

—QUINN KELLY ’30

UPPER SCHOOL

This artwork was created by Bibi Noury-Ello ’25.

A “FATED” PATH TOWARD EndlessOpportunity EndlessOpportunity AT WINSOR

Valentina Lara, a Yale-bound senior, talks about finding sisters, doing a science internship, and studying abroad

Tell us about your path to Winsor.

In the fall of 2020, I was a ninth grader attending a Marlborough, MA, charter school. A teacher mentioned that a classmate was leaving to attend Roxbury Latin School. I thought you had to go to private school your whole life to go to a private high school! My parents are immigrants from Colombia and were very unfamiliar with the educational system here. A big part of my story has been taking charge of my education based on what I heard from the people around me. I was so inspired—this classmate was an incredible student—that I decided to look into it.

I applied and got into Winsor, which was crazy to me. I felt so blessed. It feels like a lot of things lined up pretty perfectly to get me here. I don’t normally say I believe in fate, but it kind of feels a little bit fated when you think about everything that went right for me to end up here.

Tell us about what surprised you about the sisterhood of support you found at Winsor.

Growing up as someone who lives in a predominantly white town and has always gone to predominantly white institutions, getting to Winsor and seeing that they had a Latinx affinity group was something that was a huge game changer for me.

I have this amazing support system around me, this amazing group of girls— albeit small—who were there to help me with absolutely everything. I became very committed to Somos, the Latinx affinity group.

You studied abroad in Italy during spring of your junior year. What was that like?

It was by far the most incredible experience of my life. It was something that I never thought would be accessible to me in college, let alone in high school. Winsor encourages us to step outside of our comfort zones in that way.

We were matched with host families and attended an American school specifically for this program. Our academics were never compromised by the language barrier because our core classes were in English and our electives were in Italian. Wednesdays were field days, where we would discover new things about our town and do hands-on learning. A lot of it involved interviewing Italians, which was great for getting over the social aspect of interacting with others in a new country. I’m going back this summer to visit my host family so I’m very excited.

What is another opportunity you have had at Winsor that would not have been possible elsewhere?

I did an internship with a virologist this summer. Winsor has this incredible internship program, because we’re in the Longwood Medical Area, and we’re surrounded by so much research.

As someone who is interested in a STEM-related field, being exposed to that environment early on has set me up really well. I made incredible friendships and my coworkers would invite me to their lab outings and to go out to dinner. It was just the most phenomenal experience because I had mentors and I also had friends. I looked forward to going to this job every day and it was just enriched by the fact that I was learning so, so much.

“

Where are you headed

next?

I will be studying at Yale University in the fall. I don’t think I fit the typical script of what an Ivy League student looks like, but over time I had experiences that removed a lot of the fear that I had surrounding the name “Yale.” I was able to look at it positively— that it could be a place for me. I think it will be a really phenomenal experience.

What advice do you have for students applying to Winsor based on your experience as a head ambassador and also on having just gone through the college application process?

Don’t write about what you think admissions wants to hear about because what these people are really looking for is you. They want to know you.

Students who are going through this process need to trust themselves. If you are not able to believe in yourself and in your abilities, it’s going to be quite hard for other people to do that.

I think just approaching this with an open mind and approaching it with the confidence that things will work out how they’re supposed to is helpful. And remember the general affirmation that you are worthy of whatever comes your way at the end. That was important to my story—that I didn’t give up on myself. I believed I was worthy of such an opportunity. And you are, too.

Students need to trust themselves. If you are not able to believe in yourself and in your abilities, it’s going to be quite hard for other people to do that.”

“Students need to trust themselves. If you are not able to believe in yourself and in your abilities, it’s going to be quite hard for other people to do that.”

+ToBeyondAffinity

We bring our whole selves to Winsor. There are a bunch of groups to connect with others who share your identity.

“My co-head and I planned an event called Brothers to Sisters, where we collaborated with the Black Student Union at Belmont Hill. Just being in a space with a bunch of other Black students was really valuable to me.”

—GWENDOLYN CASTRO, SISTERS (BLACK AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS)

“Last year, we had three Winsor alums from completely different fields come in and talk about their journey and finding their footing and belonging. It was nice to see people who I resonate with succeed in whatever they pursue.”

—GRICELDA CASTRO, SOMOS (LATINX STUDENTS)

“The most memorable part of this affinity group was in Lower School, when we had Sisters and Somos, our Black affinity group and our Hispanic affinity group combined. Being able to see such a big group all together really opened my eyes to see who I’m surrounded by and how such a big community can have a really great effect on me.”

—VERONICA ROMERO-RIVERA, SOMOS (LATINX STUDENTS)

“For our Lunar New Year assembly it has become a tradition to prepare a K-Pop dance each year. At the end, everybody came together in this group hug. I just felt really special in a community together.”

—AINSLEY WANG, ASIAM (ASIAN STUDENTS)

“Mosaic is a very interesting and unique affinity group with the shared identity of what it’s like to come from multiple backgrounds. We made a physical mosaic, an art piece. Every student designed their own little square. When we put it all together, it kind of forms a heart. On the outside, it’s blue and green, so it looks like the world or the globe. It represents how we’re from all over.”

—NATALIE COOPER, SISTERS (BLACK AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS) & MOSAIC (TWO OR MORE IDENTITIES)

“First-Gen was a selling point for me for Winsor. I remember walking into the Upper School hallway and seeing this board full of Affinity Groups and wondering, ‘what are those?’ It’s just really special to have this space. It’s so great that Winsor really prioritizes this.”

—ALEENA BACORRO, FIRST-GEN (FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE IMMIGRANTS OR WHOSE PARENTS IMMIGRATED TO AMERICA) & ASIAM (ASIAN STUDENTS)

“We connect our members to the Greater Boston community. For the Lunar New Year assembly, we brought in some lion dancers, which is super fun. We’ve gone to see an Asian film fest and a Korean culture exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts.”

—HANNAH MU, ASIAM (ASIAN STUDENTS)

“Coming to Winsor, and having a space where I could actually have my identity as a Jew coexist with my life at school and letting those mingle a little bit more has been really meaningful. We’ve had Hanukkah parties and things like that, where we show people what it’s actually like to be Jewish.”

—EMILY LUTZKER, JEW KIDZ ON THE BLOCK (JEWISH STUDENTS)

“I came in ninth grade from a school district that’s very Latinx and very Brazilian, which is what I am. Once I joined Somos, it was such a calming experience to be able—even if it’s only 30 minutes a week—to talk to people who have a similar background.”

—GABRIELLA “GABI” FRANCA, SOMOS (LATINX STUDENTS) & FIRST-GEN (FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE IMMIGRANTS OR WHOSE PARENTS IMMIGRATED TO AMERICA)

“A highlight is that the parents of the students who are in this affinity group hold an Iftar, a breaking of the fast, during Ramadan. It’s a really nice time to come together, hang out after school, eat really good food, and just talk.”

—HAMNA CHOWDHRY, UMMAH (MUSLIM STUDENTS)

“Coming to Winsor, I still remember the seniors when I first joined who were very proud about being Indian, being Hindu. They wore things to school, like different outfits that showcased our culture and they were not afraid to go up during assembly and talk about a holiday. That definitely changed how I perceive being South Asian and associating that with my culture.”

—DIYA DRONAVADHYALA, SASA (SOUTH ASIAN STUDENTS)

“One highlight was an event with Samosa, which is our Lower School affinity group. There were about 30 of us in total, and we played games and watched movies. It was really fun and we hope to do more collaborations with them.”

—JAYA KOLLURI, SASA (SOUTH ASIAN STUDENTS)

LESSONS

BEYOND PILGRIM ROAD

Winsor’s youngest alumnae see the imprint of their high school years all over their college experiences.

HERE ARE THEIR STORIES:

KARINA

• Karina Peak ’22

Now at Northeastern University

I credit Winsor with my time-management skills. I learned how to study really well. I was able to apply that to my Northeastern classes and do a bunch of extracurriculars on top. A lot of people are surprised at how much I do, but I really credit Winsor for that skill set.

I was in the robotics club at Winsor. Here I’m part of the Baja team. We build a car every year. A lot of the clubs that I’m in now translated from the activities or the electives at Winsor. Winsor was able to show me all the options. Since I go to Northeastern, which is really close to Winsor, I still go back for some performances. The fact that I was able to create that bond, that I can go back a year or two later and they’ll still be super excited to see me, is another part of Winsor that I love.

VALERIA

Valeria Gil Lopera ’23

Now at Columbia University

Taking classes that I enjoy is something that Winsor taught me. When you’re passionate about something, work will be so much easier. At Winsor I took “An Interdisciplinary Look at Feminism.” In that class, I learned to love my identity and seek it. Moving into my classes here at university, I really seek those places where my identities are in the curriculum. That’s where I’m going to thrive. Winsor really taught me to work smarter and not harder. When it comes to being at a university that is academically challenging, I learned to prioritize what absolutely needs to be done right now, and what can hold off until later. That helps with a startup I am part of here on campus. I’m part of the marketing team. It’s an app where we have centralized everything that’s going on around Columbia, so you make the most of your experience.

• Anna Halfman ’23

Now at Williams College

One thing that Winsor prepared me for was meeting with professors and feeling comfortable going to office hours. I’ve talked to a lot of people who found that a scary thing to do, but I feel like it’s been really natural to go to office hours.

Winsor helped me take classes that were more specific to my different interests. Rather than just a broader English class, I would take Russian literature and Irish literature. Now I have a better sense of what I’m interested in. I’m able to take classes that are more niche. For example, I took an Art of Protest class at Winsor, and now I’m taking Art History, and I’m really loving it. I kind of got a taste of it at Winsor before going to college. In college I do the 100 Consulting Group, which is a student pro bono consulting group. I do Williams Investment Group. I belong to two different dance associations, one faculty-led, one student-led. I also choreograph for different student dance groups. Winsor showed me how to apply for clubs that I might be nervous to apply for. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get into them. But I’ve had the confidence to do that from Winsor.

“Winsor really taught me to work smarter and not harder.”

—VALERIA GIL LOPERA ’23

• Franchesca Vilmenay ’22

Now at Bentley University

Having the confidence that your voice is valid is what Winsor really first instilled in me. At Winsor, I just remember feeling so good in a classroom and feeling like what I had to say mattered. Having that kind of confidence and having that buildup translated into college. I’m not afraid to raise my hand. I’m not afraid to ask questions in class. I’m not afraid to contribute to class discussions.

When I was at Winsor, I was able to intern at Boston Children’s Hospital. I worked as a research assistant in a neurology lab. That was my first step into the medical field. The integration of the medical field and business really sparked my interest. Being invited into real world spaces, where what I learned about was being practically applied, was a really cool experience for me.

At Winsor I was exposed to so much and I got to learn about so many different disciplines. I was in a group chat with some of my friends from high school. Everyone is studying something so vastly different. A lot of them had roots in classes that they took at Winsor and we were able to carry that into college. And I think that fact just speaks to the diverse curriculum. Winsor really opens your eyes to what is available to study and to do in the world.

• Emma Tyree Charity ’21

Now at Stanford University

I’m mixed. My dad’s African American. My mom’s white. I identify as bisexual. At Stanford I joined a cooperative when I was a sophomore. Next year, I’m going to be leading one. It’s a Black, queer, and art-themed co-op. Being at Winsor gave me a lot of confidence to join diverse spaces. I’m really appreciative for that experience.

confidence“Havingthethatyour voiceisvalidiswhatWinsor reallyfirstinstilledinme.” —FRANCHESCAVILMENAY’22

My science teacher at Winsor taught this very interdisciplinary class at the intersection of science and society. Because of this class and what I encountered at Stanford, I pivoted, and now I’m majoring in Science, Technology, and Society and Sociology. I interned in AI policy. It’s just so funny, because I was like, “Oh, where did that come from? Oh, [my Winsor] Science and Society class.”

I also took Digital Photography 1 and 2 when I was at Winsor, and I really loved it. I’ve been a part of the fashion magazine at Stanford ever since, doing photography. When I look back on my whole arc, I feel like people are doing in college what I did in high school. I can make choices that are true to myself.

A lot of people are doing that in college, because they just kind of push through high school surrounded by pressures of who they’re supposed to be. Winsor dropped a lot of those walls for me. Personally, I think the all girls environment does that. It’s a very diverse and active community and a very safe space.

• Audrey Cheng ’23

Now at Harvard University

Winsor prepared me for college in a lot of different ways. Now, in a co-ed environment, I’m confident in what I’m saying. I am one of the first girls in the classroom to speak up.

I’m also working as the creative marketing manager for the Harvard Shop, which is our official campus merchandise store. It is a part-time job, but takes up a lot of time. It’s an entirely student-run, $8-million business. I get to create in-store signage and work on the user interface of our website. I was on the business team for Winsor’s robotics team, so I worked on graphic design and fundraising. I also did a lot of art at Winsor. I think a lot of my design and management skills were refined at Winsor.

AUDREY

• Katherine Torres ’22

Now at Wellesley College

Winsor prepared me so well, even learning how to structure my papers for academic writing. I learned how to cite my sources, learned how to use databases. I got a head start on all of that. Those little things, like properly citing sources, feel so tedious. But I know how to do it. At Winsor I was head of the First-Generation affinity group. During our college process, the heads and I met with the college counseling office and gave a presentation on how they could better serve first-gen students. Now I’m super involved in first-gen programming at Wellesley. I was part of planning this really big conference called the First-Gen Summit. Students from colleges all over the country came. Winsor emboldened me to do that. Winsor gave me the confidence to step into these leadership spaces. They believed in me, and they validated the importance of my voice.

• Tristen Leone ’22

Now at Pomona College

I want to go into classics and archeology, and mainly that is because of the opportunities that Winsor afforded me to start learning Latin. When I entered Winsor in sixth grade I had four language options. I thought, “Latin seems cool. I like Percy Jackson.” I was 10. Then I started taking Latin, and I absolutely loved it. My teacher at Winsor was just one of the best supporters of me and really encouraged my further study in classics. I really appreciated that. Once I got to Pomona, I took some archeology classes, and I had a friend recommend a dig to me, and I just fell in love so I’m excited to continue to pursue that. Winsor had really great opportunities in terms of elective courses. I even took an art law course at Winsor. So I’m hoping to pursue a JD/PhD, so I’ll do a joint degree in law and become an expert in classical archeology, so that I can combine those to work on museum legal issues.

TRISTEN

MAKE A WINSOR

Wellness Catcher

Check out our take on an old-time-y game

Music to Boost Your Mood

Last year students in health class created playlists with songs that reflected their values. Check out some favorites:

Other Wellness Options at Winsor

This community is full of go-to adults including our school nurse, counselors, health teachers, and teaching and learning specialists. The Wellness Center even has a room that students can use to relax and get ready for their next commitment.

Make Your Own Winsor Wellness Catcher

Winsor is a place where you can take charge of your own journey. Try out this Winsor Wellness Catcher and then make your own, using a fresh square of paper.

Pick four themes for the big outer squares. Pick eight things that help you decompress and write them on the inner triangles. ry it out!

Want to Go Deeper into Wellness at Winsor?

Join one of three student groups in the Upper School focused on wellness, including Wellness Club, Peer Support, and the wellness committee of the Student Equity Board. Winsor students work hard and hold themselves to high standards; through programming in advisory, health classes, and clubs, students learn tools and strategies that help them to strike a balance and value personal well-being.

Make Your Winsor Wellness Catcher Work for You

• Fold the square diagonally in both directions, creating an X across the paper.

• Fold each corner into the center X (keep the words on the outside).

• Flip the resulting smaller square over, and the four corners are folded into the center for a second time.

• Pinch the bottom of the tool and put in a thumb and three fingers to open and close the tool.

• Use the tool to pick a wellness technique that works for you.

3 4 5 6 7 8 PAUSE Breathe Learn STRETCH

REACH

Reach out to a new classmate.

WALK Take a walk in your neighborhood.

Try Try a new food today.

Ask Ask a family member what they remember about their first day of school.

Breathe

Box Breath: Use an index finger to trace a box. Inhale tracing up or down. Exhale tracing side-to-side.

Blow out the candles: Hold up your pointer finger. Imagine blowing out candles. Take a deep breath in, then blow the air out. Do this as many times as your age.

Dance Break! Turn on your favorite song and dance around the room.

DANCE

Blow

What are three things you are grateful for?

APPRECIATE

Outside of our clubs are affinity groups, where students connect around experiences or identity (Check out pages 22-23 for more.)

• AsIAm (Asian)

• Jew Kidz on the Blo ck (Jewish)

• SASA (South Asian)

• SISTERS (Black)

• SOMOS (Latinx)

• UMMAH (Muslim)

• First-Gen (First-Generation)

• Mosaic (Multi-racial) Want to start something new? Once you are at Winsor, you can fill out a Google form to suggest a new club. Be prepared to discuss the following:

• What are the goals of your club?

• When do you need to meet?

• What kind of time commitment does it require?

• What would a sample club meeting agenda look like? In Lower School, students get to choose one club to participate in per semester. Options change each year, and include choices like:

• Chess • Knitting

• Running

• Planet Protectors

• Mo del United Nations

Try?

What Clubs Should YOU

Are you artsy or STEM-y? Looking to serve others or in it to win it? Hoping to find a place to totally invest yourself or just dip your toes in? Our Upper School clubs offer tons of options. Follow our flowchart to find one to try!

to spend?

How much time do you want

FALL

SEMESTER

• Scrubs (Hear about healthcare careers)

• Chess Club (Learn some strategy)

• Fashion Club (Celebrate your style!)

• T edX Winsor (Amplify your voice)

FULL YEAR

• Quantumplaters (Meet STEM professionals, compete, and do science)

• COW (Conserve Our World, environmental club)

• SASS (Students Advocating for School Spirit)

COMPETE

• Robotics (Compete in First Tech Challenge)

• Mock Trial (Compete as lawyer or witness)

• Debate (Public speaking and critical analysis of issues)

All in! Do you want to compete or collaborate or serve? Dipping my toes in

ARTS

IDENTITY

• Spectrum (LGBTQ+)

HUMANITIES

• Word Nerds (Word games and crossword puzzles)

SERVE

• Baldwin Club (Help youngerstudents in Boston and beyond with homework and extracurriculars)

• Allegro (Perform classical music to brighten the days of those in nursing homes and hospitals)

• SAFA (Students Association of Fine Arts)

SPORTS FANS

COLLABORATE

• Banner (Winsor's student-run newspaper)

• Fanatics (Watch and discuss Boston sports)

• Collect (Winsor's student government)

• Student Equity Board (Amplifies student voices in DEI conversations)

Check Out Our Check Outs!

Take a Peek at Our Top Reads

We are voracious readers. Check out what we are checking out from The Virginia Wing Library:

1. Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman

2. Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

3. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

4. One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus

5. Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington

6. The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman

7. Divergent by Veronica Roth

8. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang*

9. Top Story by Kelly Yang

10. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid*

* From the Upper School collection, the rest are Lower School books.

The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This book has opened me up to the traps of single stories and stereotypes about cultures that can set us apart from others. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tells multiple stories from her experiences and perspectives, conveying the message that it is necessary to get to know somebody before making assumptions about them. There is no one definition of any culture. It just depends on how you decide to express it.

—CHLOE LIEN ’29

This book is about a girl named Jade Moon who is cursed with the zodiac sign Fire Horse. One day a man named Sterling Promise comes to her house in China and offers her a way into America. She has always dreamt of a life outside of China and the feeling of freedom. This book shows the struggles of what it takes to leave everything behind. It has taught me the importance of family and it has opened my eyes to the struggle of immigration.

—LILAH GLAZER ’29

Operation Nemesis by Eric

Bogosian

I truly love this book because it’s a history lesson over an hour! It’s a true retelling of Operation Nemesis, an assassination plan against Turkish and Azerbaijani officials after the Armenian genocide in 1915. This story about a man in his mid-twenties taking down some of the most important men in the world is truly amazing.

—ARIANNA TINKJIAN ’30

Everything I Never Told You

by Celeste Ng

This pick was a recommendation from a friend, and I am so glad I decided to read it! It has easily become my favorite book because of its beautiful prose, thoughtful and interesting plot, and seamless shifts between time periods. It is about a 16-year-old girl who turns up dead in a lake and how the aftermath slowly destroys her family’s seemingly perfect life. Part mystery, part romance, and part commentary on the racial divides of a small town, Everything I Never Told You will keep you guessing until the end wondering, what really happened to Lydia?

—JULIA OH ’26

Wildcats, Wildcats,

We’re all WIN or LOSE!

Year-round competitions buoy school spirit school spirit

Everyone at Winsor—from the youngest student to the most senior faculty member—is assigned to a team: Jaguars or Panthers. Rousing competition for a house cup is a thread that carries throughout each year.

History

• Inter-class competition existed at Winsor beginning in 1915, with each class taking on a color (“Reds,” “Blues,” “Whites”).

• In the mid-1930s, the school was divided into two spirited teams “Fifes” and “Drums.”

• Inter-squads paused in the late 20th century as students participation in interscholastic sports ramped up.

• In the last couple of years, student leaders and the administration brought back the school competition, assigning students to the “Panthers” and “Jaguars.” (They are both wild cats and our mascot is the Wildcat.)

How do you get assigned to a team?

• Assignments are mostly random.

• Siblings are on the same team. Parents, too! If back-in-the-day your mom was on Fifes, you join the Panthers. Those related to Drums join the Jaguars.

• Students get t-shirts representing their team to wear on Field Day and other occasions.